


Meant to Be

by panchostokes (badwolfrun)



Series: Nick/Greg Ficlets [20]
Category: CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fluff, M/M, Reunion Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-21
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-27 21:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21125495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfrun/pseuds/panchostokes
Summary: A rare bit of reunion fluff based on a dream I had of the season we never got.





	Meant to Be

**Author's Note:**

> (and also cause I feel so bad about what I'm doing to them in another fic)

It was a blessing in disguise, really, that things didn’t particularly work out in San Diego. 

He had been torn with the decision to even go in the first place, didn’t want to leave the life he had made for himself in Vegas, what with all the literal blood, sweat and tears he had poured in making it. 

But he would have been a fool to pass up the opportunity, even if it ended in failure. 

No, failure wasn’t the right word. He didn’t fail at anything. 

It was just bad luck that the job didn’t pan out. 

Stupid politics and corruption that had driven him to quit once before, he had barely even settled in when he saw the writing on the wall. Took the fall in stride, because as his father always told him, _it’s how you pick yourself up that matters, Pancho. _

He knew he would get scrutinized, if only just in jest, for taking his ball and going home, but as he walked into the doors of the Las Vegas Crime Lab, he walked in with a straightened back, head held high. 

Though he would admit he was thrown off by the small changes that had occurred since he had left, such as Catherine having left the FBI to become director of the lab, her daughter roaming the halls as a CSI level one, Sara having left Vegas to sail off with Grissom, and an office that he once occupied himself emptied yet again. 

“Well, well, well, look who came crawling back,” Hodges greeted Nick as he stood in front of the empty office. 

“Go on, get it out of your system, Goose,” Nick jabbed back, though he couldn’t suppress the smile on his face. He nodded to the bag of apples in Hodges’ hand. “On a diet?”

“Oh, it’s a gift, for the new supervisor.”

“New supervisor?”

“Yeah, last one quit the full time position, comes by every so often to consult, but word is the new supervisor? Definitely going to shake things up.”

“So instead of bringing just one apple for the teacher, you’re bringing a basket?” 

“First impressions are important, Stokes. You better up your game, considering…”

Nick took the bait. 

“Considering what?”

“Well, you know...going from a disgraced level three with no hope of promotion to disgraced lab director who barely lasted a few months. You’re gonna have a lot to prove to this guy.” 

“Mm.” Nick nodded, scrunched his lips and looked to the office door, the blinds closed, hiding the contents inside. “Well, let’s go meet this guy, huh?” 

He opened the door and walked into the office, set his bag down on the desk and sat in the chair behind it. 

“I’ll take my apples now,” Nick grinned, contemplating taking a picture of Hodges’ face in this particular moment. 

As he unpacked the boxes that were surreptitiously sent to his office, he began to think about how even with all the small changes in the structure and personnel of the lab, there were some things that were basically set in stone, which gave him a little comfort in the face of his return. 

A return that he didn’t tell many people about, wanted to keep it a surprise, though there was one person he wanted to tell, but just didn’t know how to approach. 

He bit his lower lip, hesitant on entering the DNA lab as he strolled past. Greg Sanders was dancing between counter tops, wearing the newly issued lab coats, so concentrated on his work that he didn’t even notice Nick opening the door.

“What, did you get demoted, too?”

Greg did a double take, nearly dropped the test tube he was holding as he ran a hand through his hair, coincidentally spiking up his flattened hair. 

“Nah, just...running these anal swabs for this case I’m working on--you’re back!” Greg breathed. 

“Yeah,” Nick nodded with a sheepish grin, his hands in his pockets. 

“Catherine, uh, Catherine told me that you’d be coming back to Grave, as supervisor.”

“Oh, she did?”

“Yeah.”

A beat between the two men.

“Why didn’t you tell me, man?”

“I wanted it to be a surprise,” Nick muttered, rubbing the back of his head. 

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”

“Wasn’t meant to be, I guess,” he shrugged off. “It did make me think a lot though, about what I really want.”

“And what...do you want?” Greg asked, walking closer to Nick. Nick licked his lips, flexed his fingers into fists at his sides 

“You.” 

He grabbed Greg’s shoulders, glided his tongue over Greg’s lips, tracing them. Greg held Nick’s elbows as he met Nick’s tongue with his own. Nick could feel the heat between their cheeks, tried to move his nose out of the way of Greg’s, with every touch, Nick’s ears burned. 

It was the moment he was looking forward to the most in his return to Vegas, and it did not disappoint.

“Looks like we are, though…” Greg whispered into Nick’s ear as he pulled back, Nick’s lips following after him, his eyebrows curved up, he wanted  _ more _ . 

“We’re what?” 

“Meant to be.”


End file.
